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Read Prodigy's 2008 Manifesto on His Hip-Hop Innovations

Prodigy of Mobb Deep passed away Tuesday at the age of 42. While it's an undeniably large blow to the hip-hop community, as well as the music world at large, it's also an opportunity to remember Prodigy (real name: Albert Johnson) for the impact he had on his chosen profession along with his words of wisdom.

With that in mind, below is a blog post that he wrote in 2008 on the list of innovations that he pioneered for the world of hip-hop.

There may be some people out there who will take issue with some of this list, but it's an entertaining read nonetheless. It includes bullet points such as being tatted up since he was a preteen, customizing football jerseys, and exposing the Illuminati. Though it was capped off early (or so Prodigy says), there are 26 such innovations listed in his manifesto, which you can read in full below (h/t NahRight):

TRENDS PRODIGY HAS SET SINCE 1992 AND STILL IS SETTING IN 2008 AND BEYOND:

#1 TATTOO’S ON MY CHEST, ARMS AND HAND SINCE I WAS 12 YEARS OLD

#2 RAPPING WORDS THAT DONT ALWAYS RHYME

#3 PUTTING WORDS TOGETHER THAT DONT RHYME AND MAKING THEM RHYME "big guns down in santa barbray, my crew do it the mobb way every day, crime pay who wanna gun play thrill me. niggas kill me grillin me you wanna look peep the 9 milly now undress you know the drilly. niggas suspect weak links pose threat, i have yet to met challenger who go against my set"

#15 EVERYBODY WANNA USE THE WORD INFAMOUS NOW……THERES ONLY ONE INFAMOUS ON THE PLANET AND THATS THE INFAMOUS MOBB DEEP. WHOEVER ELL’S IS TRULY PLAYING THEYSELF. COME BETTER. I DONT SEE YOU CALLIN YA SELF NOTORIOUS,,,SO DONT USE OUR SHIT…YOU LOOK AND SOUND STUPID.

#16 ALOT OF PEOPLE ARE CALLIN THEY SELF A MOBB WIT 2 B’S,,,,,YOU ARE A EXTRA DICK RIDER. I CREATED THE 2 B SHIT JUST SO WE COULD STAND OUT,,,PLEASE STOP IT.

#17 THIS BELONGS AT THE TOP,,,,,,,,,PRODIGY AND HAVOC. AFTER ME AND HAV NAMES WERE IN THE SOURCE UN-SIGNED HYPE COLUM, THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME OUR NAMES WERE EVER PRINTED AND OUTTA NOWHERE POP’S UP A prodijee and havik from the west coast????????? THEM NIGGA BIT OUR NAMES…THERES NO WAY IN THE UNIVERSE THAT SOMEBODY ELL’S COULD PUT THOSE 2 NAMES TOGETHER BY COINCEDENCE. TOTALY IMPOSSIBLE. WE BUMPED INTO THEM NIGGAS AT JACK THE RAPPER IN ATLANTA BACK IN 93 AND WE STEPPED TO THEM. ASK D.J. PREMEIR, GURU, LIL DAP, 40GLOCC AND A GANG OF OTHER WITNESSES THAT SAW THE CONFRONTATION. THEM NIGGAS WAS SHOOK.

#18 TIMBERLAND BOOTS…THESE RACIST FUCC’S OWE US MILLIONS. THEY NEVER DO AD’S USING BLACK PEOPLE OR RAPPERS AS MUCH AS WE PROMOTED THEY SHIT.

#19 WEB SITES, I HAD INFAMOUSSTORES.COM AND WAS WRITING BLOGS BACK IN 99 LONG BEFORE IT BECAME POPULAR IN HIP HOP TO HAVE A WEB SITE.

#20 PUTTIN THE VIDEO ON THE NET BEFORE PEOPLE EVEN HEAR THE SONG ON MIX-CD’S OR RADIO. MAC 10 HANDLE WAS THE FIRST VIDEO TO HIT THE NET FIRST, AND THE FIRST TIME SOMEBODY SHOT A BIG VIDEO FOR A MIX-CD PERIOD.

#21 NO MORE JEWELERY, RIMS, OR LIFESTYLE OF THE BEAST. HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY TREND SETTING, LOOK AT WHAT I BRING TO THE TABLE.

#22 NO MORE FLASHY, DANCY, RADIO FREINDLY , CLUB SONGS..HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY TREND SETTING, LOOK AT WHAT I BRING TO THE TABLE.

#23 MAKING EXPOSING THE ILLUMINATI, SECRET GOVERNMENT AND HIDDEN TRUTHS THAT NEW HOT SHIT… PEOPLE DO IT, BUT NOT LIKE P. I BEEN DOIN IT SINCE 96… JUST LISTEN TO MY BEATS AND HOW I MAKE THIS SHIT SO THAT THE REAL HOOD NIGGAS CAN GET INTO IT…. THESE FAGGOT CONCIOUS RAPPERS WILL NEVER REACH THE CROWED OF KILLERS THAT I REACH….HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY TREND SETTING, LOOK AT WHAT I BRING TO THE TABLE.

#24 I MAKE OLD WASHED UP RAPPERS WANNA GO BACK IN THE STUDIO AND DO IT ONE MORE TIME!! THESE DUSTY, RUSTY, RETIRED RAP NIGGAS GET THAT OLD FEELING BACK WHEN THEY HEAR MY MUSIC AND SEE HOW I DONT STOP… ITS HILLARIOUS TO HEAR AND SEE THEM TRY TO KEEP IT COMING LIKE ME. WE NOT THE SAME HOMEBOY!!,,,,WHATS EVEN MORE FUNNY IS THE CONCIOUS RAPPERS THAT GET HYPE CAUSE THEY HEAR MY LYRICS AND THEY BE LIKE "yes our time is here" BUT NO YA TIME IS NOT! WE NOT THE SAME HOMEBOY!! YOU NOT A REBEL SOLDIER….YOU NOT A INSURGENT.. PLEASE….GO HOME

#25 DEMEROL, MORPHINE, HEROINE RAP’S,,,,,I STARTED SAYIN ALL THIS CAUSE I WRITE RHYME WHILE IM SICK IN THE HOSPITAL ACTUALLY GETTIN THESE DRUGS… SAYIN YA SHIT IS LIKE CRACK, COKE ANS WHAT HAVE YOU I STARTED DOING THAT BACK ON D.J. CLUE MIX TAPES FIRST TIME WAS ON THE MOTHERLESS CHILD BEAT…ME AND TY-NITTY

#26 I COULD JUST KEEP GOING BUT NOW I’M TIRED… HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY TREND SETTING, LOOK AT WHAT I BRING TO THE TABLE.

Rap historians debate/contest the contents of the list as you see fit. Either way, R.I.P. Prodigy.